Philbrick McLeod Crouch (American/Tennessee, 1911-1999) mid-century clay sculpture titled "Seated Figure," depicting a nude female seated on a naturalistic ground, her head turned to her right and held, angled slightly, in her left hand. Signed and dated "Philbrick Crouch '53" to one side of base. Paper label for the Tennessee All-State Artist Exhibition 1954-55 affixed to the base. 10 3/4" H x 6 3/4" W x 5 1/2" D. Biography: Philbrick Crouch studied sculpture at the Beaux-Arts Institute of Design and at the Art Students League in New York in the 1930s. He was an assistant sculptor to Mrs. Harry Payne Whitney of the Whitney Museum from 1936-1939 and exhibited in numerous venues including the Whitney Museum of American Art in 1941 and the National Ceramic Exhibition in Syracuse, NY in 1948. He also created life sized bronze figures for several parks and gardens in New York City; and made exhibitions for the New York Zoological Society at the World's Fair. In 1947 he moved to Nashville to work as a preparator at the Children's Museum, and served as its director from 1953 to 1970, although he continued to create and exhibit sculpture. This sculpture was the First purchase prize winner for the 8th Tennessee All State Artists Exhibition in 1954. Crouch founded the Tennessean Association of Museums and was a founding member of the Nashville Artists Guild. (Source: The Art of Tennessee exhibition catalog, Frist Center for the Visual Arts, 2006; information from the family of the artist). Provenance: Art Collection of former Watkins College of Art; proceeds benefit scholarship endowment for students in the new Watkins College of Art at Belmont University.

A couple of very slight abrasions to the top of the head, otherwise overall good condition.